1988 Honda Prelude Si 2.0T from North America

Summary:

Great first car with lots of potential

General Comments:

Great car I bought it when I was 15 and rebuilt the engine completely, had it ported and polished, a 4 angle valve job, installed low comp pistons, new exhaust, headers, muffler, intake, rims, cams, cam gear, turbo exhaust manifold, t3/t4 turbo, msd ignition, new fuel pump and rails, tires, clutch, flywheel, and a body kit this car has much potential and is very fast even stock. and you can do a h22a swap into it with out many problems. I recommend this car to anyone who likes a great looking and fast car.

1988 Honda Prelude Si 4WS 2.0 DOHC from North America

Summary:

Faults:

Rotors were found to be warped, probably due to the older woman who owned it before me. Installed cross drilled rotors and metal matrix brake pads.

Seats are experiencing usual wear. i.e. Fading color.

Usual rust has formed below the gas tank and underneath each quarter panel. Probably due to the fact I found pounds of compacted dirt and sand underneath them after removed. WARNING: unscrew and clean underneath your quater panels one time a year, as moisture and dirt are perfect conditions for rust formation. You may save yourself loads of money and increase resale value of your car.

Paint on hood wearing away. Honda did not place the hood correctly, it gets extremely hot when running during the summer, causing paint fade and severe damage to any clear coat.

The "In car shower" many prelude owners experience is the result of trapped dirt and dust in the sunroofs drain channels. A flexible, soft rod needs to be worked down the channels and hot water poured down the channels. *Warning*: channels are rubber, any puncturing of these tubes may result in further, costly problems.

General Comments:

Despite the three minor problems stated above, this car is excellent and with new tires it's 4 wheel steering radius is intriguing.

Couple of mods and this car is a excellent powerplant and very fun to drive.

It offers a panoramic view from all angles and is unique enough to stand out in a crowd.

I will definitely buy another prelude in my lifetime, but I will seriously miss the 4 wheel steering.

Honda got it right with these preludes, and they continue to do it right.

Parts wear they don't break. Change your timing belt every 50,000 miles, tune-up every 25,000 and change the oil every 2,500. You'll be glad you maintained it when you trade it in or resell it to a private party.

Safety may be of a concern, as the driver only sits above 6 inches from the asphalt. It tops out at 132 MPH and could use more low end power.

9th Oct 2003, 00:05

I have a 1988 prelude Si 2.0 4WS ALB

This has been the worst car ever I've had, after putting 4 Automatic gearboxes in it myself I'm sick of it. I hope this is the last one I will have to install. I've been told the O'rings in the Autos go if anyone else has this trouble.